Before We Were Caught
by Caithrine Glidewell
Summary: Everything is going well for Marti and Julian, until they get caught off guard. Will it change things? Or make them stronger?
1. Chapter 1

Marti smiled and high fived some of her team mates after they rounded off practice them moved over to the bench to grab her water bottle.

Sitting down she looked up to see Julian leaning against the doorjamb of their gym. For half a second she was caught off guard. He rarely ever met with her in public, much less sought her out.

Marti pushed the surprise aside and stood up walking over to him.

"Hey," She greeted him, still breathless, hands in the pockets of her shorts.

"Hey," no individual word could sound so seductive as his greeting did in that moment, her heart the honey melting off his honeysuckle accent.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, leaning against the doorway as well.

Julian moved so that he had one arm on either side of her, his eyes burning into hers, "You know, you are extremely sexy when your exhausted."

"You are aware there are other people around," Marti mentioned with a joking tone.

"Yeah, I don't care," Julian whispered and leaned down to kiss her, "Stay over tonight?"

"Hmm..." Marti smirked, "We'll see..."

"Hmm," Julian leaned in for another kiss.\

"When I show up or don't," Marti said smugly when they parted again.

"You'll show," he whispered.

"How can you be so sure counselor?"

"I have it on good authority," he whispered and kissed her again, "Tonight."  
>Then he pushed off the wall and left her there breathless.<p>

After composing herself, Marti walked nonchalantly back to the bench, picking up her water bottle and a towel.

"Was that ?" Savanah asked coming up next to her. Marti glanced at her but said nothing before returning her gaze to where he had lounged on the door frame, "Wait, isn't he your law professor?"

"Was," Marti corrected her.

"And your still talking to him?" Savanah asked with a tad too much surprise.  
>Marti turned to her, "How do you think I get all these favors from him."<p>

"Your," She lowered her voice but the shocked tone remained, "You're _sleeping with him_?"

"No!" Marti retorted quickly, "Well yes, but not like that. We're dating."

"You're dating your teacher?"

"Ex-teacher. Savanah, there is nothing wrong here. We're both of legal age. He is NOT my teacher. It's fine," Marti moved to get her things.

"I guess I can't blame you. He is cute."

"Who's cute?" Dan asked, cutting in.

Savanah smiled at him, "Marti's new beau."

"Oh," Dan dragged the word out with a smirk.

Marti rolled her eyes, "I gotta go."

"Are you going to see HIM?" Savanah teased.

"No." Yes, she thought internally, but she wasn't going to tell her that.


	2. Chapter 2

Marti sat on her bed back at Cheertown reading a book. Well attempting to. More like reading a sentence or two, potentially highlighting something and then looking at the clock again.

She was anxious to see Julian, but she wanted to hold up to her threat from earlier. She was determined to be just late enough to make him believe she actually wasn't coming.

She glanced at the clock again. 8:45. Maybe just late enough to make him consider she might not come…

Marti snatched a small pillow from beside her and threw it at the clock so that the couldn't see the time, then tried to focus on her text book.

When she decided she couldn't stand studying anymore, she threw aside her book and went to the kitchen to get something to munch on.

"Hey Marti," Lewis greeted her as he passed by. She was trying to reach for a box of crackers on the top shelf but couldn't quite reach it. Lewis came up next to her and got it down with a smile, "Savanah seemed to believe pretty strongly that you wouldn't be here tonight."

Marti laughed, "She's not very good at keeping secrets is she?"

Lewis chuckled too, "Definitely not. So where did Savanah think you would be running off to tonight?"

"Nowhere," Marti said a little too quickly, snatching the box from the counter and turning away from him.

"Uh-oh no. I know that look. That's the look you used to have when you and I would sneak off together," Lewis told her, a tad jokingly.

Marti blushed and turned back to him.

"This is about a guy. Who is it?" Lewis asked almost like an excited school girl.

"None of your business," She said firmly, then turned and started back towards her room. Before she reached it she caved and turned back around, "Lewis, do you know what time it is?"

"Uh… 9:53. Why?"

Marti didn't answer, just bolted into her room to get ready.

When Julian opened the door, Marti was leaning seductively against the doorjamb.

He smiled back at he, "I was beginning to believe you might actually not come."

"Hmm," Marti hummed, pushing off the doorframe and grasping his lapel, "Well maybe that's what I wanted you to think."

"Now is it," He whispered, leaning in to kiss her. He pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them.

He made her dinner, without managing to set the kitchen on fire again. They talked, and talking led to kissing, and kissing to making out, and soon to them sprawled on the floor once again as they let the electromagnetic static of sexual tension that always hung between them release.

As she drifted off to sleep, Martis snuggled into Julian's warm side and as he stared up at the ceiling, all he could think was how lucky he was to have her in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Before We Were Caught 4

Julian woke first the next morning and ran his fingers gently over her hair. He loved how Marti seemed so peaceful as she slept, but somehow her hard competitive edge still lined each breath.

Now that he thought about it, the only time he had ever seen it leave her eyes was as he listed the things he liked about her. Her eyes seemed so open and vulnerable, like he was seeing beyond her hardened exterior. He made a mental note to do things like that more often.

Marti began to stir in his arms and he stroked her bare shoulder as he waited for her eyes to open. When they finally did he smiled.

"Good Morning."

"Morning," Marti replied in a wraspy voice and gave a half awake smile. Then she chuckled, "You know, your wood floors are REALLY comfortable, but sleeping on them is becoming a bad habit."

"Hmm your argument is weak," Julian teased.

"Hmm well I can be persuasive," Marti kissed him and it quickly turned from sweet to hot and Julian gripped her sides. The doorbell rang and they both jumped a little, Marti rolling off of his chest. Neither of them moved and the doorbell rang again.

"Come on Julian. Open the door. I know your home," a slightly annoyed female voice came from the general direction of the door.

"Shit, It's my wife," Julian hissed, scrambling in the blankets.

"Shit!" Marti exclaimed too and got up trying to find a shirt. She picked up the first shirt she could reach and threw it on as she hid around the corner. Julian threw on his slacks hoping his wife wouldn't notice and tried to kick the other clothes under the couch.

There was another knock and Nicki's voice piped up, "Daddy!"

Julian looked up and abandoned the mess on the floor to answer the door. "Hey," he said, trying to sound groggy, rubbing the back of his head, "What's going on? You couldn't have called?"

"I told you three days ago, Julian," She said, annoyed. As she pushed past him into the house with Nicki, "I have to go to Nashville for two days for work. Remember?"

"Oh sh- I'm sorry. I forgot. It's fine though. I-"

"Julian, what happenned here?" she asked, coming across the mess on the living room floor.

He scratched his jaw in embarrassment, "it's nothing."

"You know, for a lawyer, you are a really bad liar," his wife said holding up Marti's panties.

"Daddy, I want cereal," Nicki whined, pulling on Julian's pants.

"Just a minute sweetheart," he told her, missing her hair before turing back to his wife, "Alyssa, I can explain."

There was silence for a moment, "Sweetie, why don't you go upstairs for a minute," Alyssa said, and Nikki bit her thumb and scurried up the stairs without another word. "Is she still here?" Julian just nodded, "I deserve to meet her if she is going to be around our daughter."

"She's not. Not yet. We've talked about it," Julian tried to object, crossing his arms. Now was not the time to have his ex-wife and his girlfriend meet. Especially not with Nikki upstairs.

"I still deserve to know who she is. She may be part of Nikki's life-"

"Now is not the time, Alyssa! With Nikki here-"

"Julian," Marti's voice came from around the corner and she came out in Julian's shirt. She'd managed to find a pair of her jeans stashed in the house, "she's right." He gave her a warning, objective look. But of course she ignored it, "Marti Perkins," she held her hand out to Alyssa.

She just stared at it and scoffed, "God, Julian, I really thought you could do better than some 20 year old skank."

"Excuse me?" Marti tested.

"You will not-" Julian began before Marti cut him off.

"You know nothing about me. I am a law student, not some skank. Julian is better than SOME SKANK and I can see it in your eyes that you know it. I wouldn't be here if he believed I wasn't fit to be in Nikki's life. So don't make assumptions about me."

Alyssa was left speechless for a moment before she could find words to say, "she's a fighter. Just like you Jule," and with that, she left.

Sent from my iPhone


	4. Chapter 4

Before We Were Caught 5

Marti moved around the bedroom pointlessly trying to clean what was already spotless while Julian took care of his daughter downstairs.

Julian came up and leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, "I'm sorry about that."

"No. It's no big deal. She's your kid," Marti said, not really paying him any mind.

"Not that," Julian pushed off the doorframe and walked over to her and she stopped in her path, "about my wife."

Marti licked her lips and crossed her arms, taking a stance of power, "and?"

"She had no right to attack you like that."

"And you couldn't stand up for me?" Marti retorted.

"Well I tried," Julian threw back, "but you were running your mouth. I couldn't get a word in edgewise." Marti shifted her weight and looked away, knowing he was right but unwilling to admit it, "it's something you tend to do." Julian said more tenderly, rubbing his hands on her arms.

"Is that what I look like?" Marti asked, her voice slightly broken.

"What?"

"A skank?" Marti reminded him.

"Goodness Marti! How could you even-" he shook his head looking away for a minute before he met her eyes straight on, "Marti, you are beautiful and strong and mature. And nothing that she could say to you would be true. That was an attack on me and you should not have been in the middle of it," he tacked on to the end, almost under his breath, "and I was doing a just fine job of keeping you out of it until you barged in."

Marti laughed a bit, "I tend to do that, don't I."

"You like theatrical gestures!" He smiled and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Eeewwe!" A little girl's voice came from the doorway.

They broke apart and both looked at her.

Julian crouched down and held out his arms for her to come in to, "hey there sweetheart."

She ran into his arms and then looked up at Marti, "why is shwe hewe?"

Julian smiled, "she's just a friend of daddy's."

"And actually, I should go," Marti said awkwardly and headed for the door.

"Call you later?" Julian asked.

Marti turned back, "sure."

He watched her go then waited a moment in silence. "Alright sweetheart," Julian said with effort as he picked Nikki up.

They went downstairs and Julian put on cartoons and sat with her on the couch.

"Daddy?" Nikki said questioningly.

"Yes honey?" He replied, muting the TV.

"Why were you kissing that giwl the way you used to kiss Mommy?"

Julian smiled softly, "because she is someone very important to me."

Nikki nodded, "will I eva reawwy get to meet her?"

Julian laughed, "someday sweetheart," he rubbed her hair back and kissed her head.

_Maybe six months was a little drastic. _


	5. Chapter 5

Before We Were Caught 5

Julian called Marti that night after he got Nikki to sleep. He had something he wanted to ask her but he digit know how she would respond, If she would think he was moving too fast, or pushing her into something.

"Hello," Marti answered flirtatiously.

"Hello," Julian replied and smiled.

"How'd the day go with your daughter?"

"Good," Julian scratched his cheek, hesitant to have this conversation, "she asked about you."

"She what?" Marti sounded surprised.

"She was asking questions about you."

There was silence on the other end for a moment, "what did you tell her?"

"That you were someone very important to me," on the other end, Marti smiled and bit her nail, blushing a little, "I was thinking... How would you feel about attending an appointment with my therapist...to talk about Nikki?"

"What about Nikki?" Marti asked.

"Just about us, our relationship, and whether now is a good time to introduce you into her life," Julian explained.

Marti froze and the tone of her voice turned defensive, "why?"

"I just want to be sure that I'm introducing her to a strong relationship. She needs stability in her life. We talked about that."

"I know we did, but you should be able to know for yourself if we have strong relationship. Are you not sure if this will be for the long run?"

"Marti I don't mean it that way-"

"But that's what is sounds like," Marti snapped, "I'm not going anywhere. I don't need a shrink to tell me that. If you do then you don't understand US."

"Marti-" before he could try to rectify his words the line clicked and the emptiness of the dial tone filled his ears.

Julian bit his lip then in a burst of rage, threw the phone across the room.


End file.
